Research shows that even people who enjoy their jobs experience Sunday evening anxiety. The issue isn’t laziness or lack of passion; it’s the effort required to abandon a more authentic 'weekend self' for a professional identity. This switch is costly, leading to stress and diminished authenticity.
Code-switching involves adjusting behavior, language, and self-presentation between home and work. This constant toggling degrades performance and wellbeing. As careers progress, the gap between the weekend and work selves widens, intensifying Monday dread.
The real problem lies in workplaces that demand performance over authenticity. Solutions include cultures where employees can approximate their true selves at work, reducing the need for elaborate personas.
Naming this issue correctly shifts focus from individual discipline to systemic change, challenging the status quo of workplace performance culture.